Institutional cleaning environments often require the use of various chemicals given the nature of problems which arise. At times the various active chemicals are functionally different and may even be chemically incompatible. As a result, extended preparation and packaging alternatives must often be considered. In applications such as warewashing, laundry washing, hard surface cleaning, sanitizing, pot and pan, presoaking, any number of active ingredients may be used which in any given instance may or may not be chemically or functionally compatible with a procedure which is to be performed prior to, during, or after, the active ingredient is applied.
As a result, there is a need to develop a means of manufacturing, packaging, and storing active chemical ingredients of varying strength, activity, or application. One means of providing such an invention is by enveloping or coating the composition with a film. However, many detergent chemicals are not compatible with any number of film systems. For example, these polymers may not generally be compatible with chemical systems having certain active ingredients such as halogens or high alkalinity.
Chemical detergents, cleaners, and the like must also be generally contained in a system which combines strength and structural integrity with storage stability to contain the product during storage and transportation prior to reaching its final end use. At the final location the package must have enough strength to withstand handling prior to use.
Finally, many chemical cleaners have a highly alkaline nature or contain constituents such as chlorine sources which are undesirable to contact. Operational handling of these compositions, especially in the environment of use, often creates definite hazards stemming from, for example, the premature creation of high pH solutions which may result in severe injury to the operator.
As a result, a need still exists for a cleaning system which may be able to provide active chemicals of varying concentrations or maintain chemicals which are functionally or chemically incompatible in one uniform matrix through the design of the system.